The present invention relates generally to a cattle feeding system and to a shelter used in that system to create a controlled environment that protects the beef animal from environmental extremes. It also is a system which minimizes pollution risks.
Conventional open cattle feedlots have fence-line feed bunks and a concrete apron in front of the bunk for the cattle to stand on while eating; but, the rest of the dirt feedlot is open to the sun, wind, snow, rain and resulting mud and wind chill. Conventional systems do not protect the beef animal from extreme weather stresses. The associated stresses from the conventional beef system lead to decreased feed efficiency, lower weight-gains, disease development, and higher death loss. In addition, the conventional system is more labor intensive, because the mud lots must be repeatedly scraped and dirt mounds built in an attempt to keep the animals out of the snow and mud. The feed bunks are in the open and unprotected from snow and rain. Snow and spoiled wet feed must be repeatedly scooped out of the bunk to keep the bunk dry. This increases labor expense.
A larger concern for conventional cattle feeding systems is the potential for polluting the environment with manure runoff from the open lots after a rain or snow melt. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is enforcing new rules to prevent the pollution of streams and ditches next to conventional cattle feedlots and is requiring expensive containment basins or lagoons to be built to prevent run off from open feedlots. The result of lagoons and containment basins is the creation of an odor problem from the breakdown of the liquid manure that is contained in them. Consequently, the solution to water pollution creates air pollution. This trade off of one type of pollution for another is not acceptable.
As a result of many of these difficulties the cattle feeding business has moved away from the Midwest farm belt for among other reasons, in order to avoid the weather extremes since it is known that these weather extremes cause energy expenditure by the cattle and therefore decrease feed efficiency. For example, research at Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska has found that cattle that are in mud have wet hair and they are out of their thermo neutral temperature zone and thus have significantly lower rates of gain and poorer feed efficiency. Thermo neutral zone, as used herein, refers to a dry air area in for example a barn, that is within the range of 80° F. to 19° F. with the animals having dry hair. Within this range there is 15% better weight gain and feed efficiency. Disease is also notably lacking.
By way of example of the importance of the thermo neutral zone, as a general rule for every 4-8 inches of mud, weight gain is slowed by 14% and feed efficiency decreased by 13%. Severe conditions with mud 8-12 inches deep will decrease the gain and feed efficiency by 25% or more. In some instances cattle weight gain and feed efficiency has been cut in half by extreme muddy conditions.
In situations where the hair coat becomes wet cattle lose the ability to insulate themselves and as a result their maintenance requirements increase dramatically. Wind chill from the strong prevailing northwest winds also dramatically increases the animal's energy requirements.
The thermo neutral temperature zone is known to be the area or range of temperatures for maximum weight gain and feed efficiency. It also is the range of greatest comfort for cattle.
If the Midwest wishes to reestablish itself as the center for cattle feeding and finishing, there is a need for a successful structure that will maintain the cattle with dry hair generally within their thermo neutral temperature zone, i.e., between 80° F. on the upper end and 19° F. on the lower end. If the animals have wet hair the lower end thermal neutral zone temperature raises from 19° F. to 60° F. which dramatically increases energy requirements.
Certain types of systems have been developed in the past in an attempt to control climate and environment for cattle feeding systems. See for example, Slack, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,191, which relates to a light and climate control system for prestressed fabric structures of the type having a plurality of arches in order to create certain zones within the shelter of controlled environment. There is, however, no control of feeding or design to eliminate or minimize manure and air pollution or is there adjustability to weather extremes. Bunger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,347, relates to a more permanent animal shelter for large scale feed operations involving a specifically designed roof and louver section with ventilation areas and use of interior feeding troughs. This too does nothing to eliminate some of the water and air pollution risk, nor does it allow flexibility of change in shelter structure to reflect change in environmental condition. It can therefore be seen by these two examples alone that there is a continuing need for improvement in large cattle feeding systems and shelters used in those systems to create a controlled environment depending upon the weather conditions, and to minimize pollution risk of both liquid and air pollution.
In the past, many types of structures have been suggested for increased efficiency. However the structure must not only work to maintain the cattle within the thermo neutral temperature range in dry comfortable air, but it also must be economical to build. For example, a 300-head barn that is of a conventional mono-slope barn construction runs about $700/head. A slatted floor confinement barn runs about $1,000/head for the same size herd. The present units of this invention, depending upon whether the farmer builds them himself or has help, range from $230/head for a 300-head barn to $330/head. Nearly half as much as conventional mono-slope barn at their very highest. Moreover they are more efficient than either mono-slope barns or slatted floors at maintaining dry air and a temperature in the thermo neutral zone.
A primary objective of the present invention is to develop a beef system that may be used to feed cattle in a controlled environment within their thermo neutral zone without the associated pollution of water and air that conventional cattle feeding systems create with their manure runoff.
Another objective of the present invention is to develop such a system which allows the walls of the shelter to be modified from opened to closed to partially closed positions and from positions providing shade protection to no shade protection, all in order to appropriately respond to seasonal climate changes as needed for the comfort of the cattle dwelling within the shelter.
A yet further objective of the present invention is to provide a cattle feeding system and a shelter which can be built relatively inexpensively in comparison with other units presently available commercially but which provides variable climate adjustments to maintain dry air, and herd cleanliness and comfort.
Simulating cattle feeding in a controlled environment is not an easy endeavor. Particularly in the Mid-West climates, which may typically range from winter wind chills approaching −35° F. to summer heat indexes of +114° F. Accordingly, it is a further objective of the present invention to provide a controlled environment that will modify the extreme weather fluctuations to a thermo neutral environment where the beef animal can thrive.
Open cattle feedlots are further complicated with humane animal husbandry criteria, such as providing access to bedding to provide a dry comfortable area for the cattle to lie on and to be protected from the sun, cold, wind, rain and mud. Accordingly, an even further objective of the present invention is to provide a cattle-feeding system that incorporates general humane, on farm husbandry standards for cattle.
Open cattle feedlots are often used by large commercial feedlots. These large feedlots are not typically inclined to use a controlled environment. A family farmer who owns the cattle, depends upon the farm for his/her livelihood, and provides the daily physical labor to manage the cattle and farm operation; such a person is more likely to adopt controlled environment, humane on-farm husbandry. Accordingly, it is a still further objective of the present invention to provide a cattle-feeding system, which may be easily adapted for a family farm, so that the family farm may generate a good and profitable livelihood.
Conventional cattle feeding systems usually have several hundred cattle in a pen and may not have adequate bunk and water space so that cattle, a herd animal, can all have easy access to water and feed. Accordingly, yet another objective of the present invention is to provide adequate space requirements for cattle if they are not in an open feedlot area but in an enclosed building structure. The present system generally provides 40 square feet per animal, with the feed bunk and water included, which is double the space of many current confined feeding systems on slatted floors.
It is a further objective to provide a system and shelter having a planned gated space area that allows a drover's alley so that the cattle can be conveniently penned in one area and the drover's alley cleaned easily all at once by simply moving a skid loader or appropriate working tool down through the shelter. Thereafter the drover's alley gates are opened and the cattle then allowed free access again to the drover's alley and the feeding area bunks.
A yet further objective of the present invention is to provide a shelter that has a north facing wall air gap that works in combination with the chimney vent space down through the roof middle (the long axis of the shelter known as a Chimney Vent or split) function together to keep air flowing up and out of the shelter that is therefore dry and avoids the efficiency bad weight gain affects (weight loss) of the adverse weather and high relative humidity.
Put simply, the shelter and system of the present invention provides the most cattle comfort, and the greatest feed efficiency and weight gain at the lowest cost. This is one of the most important objectives of the invention.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following detailed written description of the invention, including the preferred embodiment and best mode of the invention.